BMI Film & Television Awards Tout Composers of Year’s Top Film, Television, & Cable Music

BMI honored the composers of music featured in the past year’s top-grossing films, top-rated prime-time network television series, and highest ranking cable network programs tonight at its annual Film & Television Awards. Held at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel and hosted by BMI President & CEO Del Bryant and Film/TV Relations Vice President Doreen Ringer Ross, the black-tie gala also celebrated BMI’s Academy Award, Golden Globe, and Emmy Award-winning composers.

A highlight of the ceremony was the Richard Kirk Award presentation to esteemed composer David Newman. Named after late BMI Vice President Richard Kirk, the prestigious award is given annually to a composer who has made significant contributions to film and television music. As the 2009 honoree, David Newman joins an elite list of peers that includes George S. Clinton, Danny Elfman, Jerry Goldsmith, Harry Gregson-Williams (PRS), Michael Kamen, Alan Menken, Mark Mothersbaugh, Thomas Newman, Mike Post, Lalo Schifrin, John Williams, Christopher Young, and the late Jerry Goldsmith and Michael Kamen.

Academy Award-nominated composer David Newman has helped create and elevate American pop culture for more than 20 years. Both an accomplished violinist and conductor of leading orchestras around the world including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, he is most admired for his ingenious and prolific work as a composer. After composing the original score for Danny DeVito’s Throw Mama from the Train in 1987, Newman and DeVito began a rewarding cinematic partnership. Their lauded collaborations include The War of the Roses, Hoffa, Matilda and Death to Smoochy – films which utilized Newman’s uniquely deft understanding of razor-sharp dark humor. His noted style also led to work on quirky hit films such as Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, The Nutty Professor, and its sequel. Newman has scored more than 100 films, including The Brave Little Toaster, Critters, Serenity, Bowfinger, Tommy Boy, Brokedown Palace, Galaxy Quest, Ice Age, Anastasia – for which he received an Academy Award nomination – and, most recently, Frank Miller’s The Spirit, based on the classic comic book series. The recipient of 14 BMI Film Music Awards, Newman served as music director for the Sundance Institute for three years. In 2007, he was elected president of the Film Music Society. He currently serves as president of the board of directors of the American Youth Symphony, a pre-professional Los Angeles orchestra that has trained many of today’s studio musicians. Newman has also worked tirelessly to promote the performance of film music in the concert hall. He comes from a family of three generations of film music scoring—including his father, Alfred Newman; cousin, Randy Newman; and brother, Thomas Newman, among others.

BMI also presented the Classic Contribution Award to Mike Post in recognition of his dedicated involvement with the BMI Foundation’s Pete Carpenter Fellowship. The composer behind classic themes for television series including NYPD Blue, Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law and Law and Order, Post has volunteered his time and invaluable expertise for the past 20 years, mentoring each fellowship recipient in his Los Angeles studios. The annual, four- to five-week long fellowship is bestowed on an aspiring film and television composer in memory of Post’s late partner and friend Pete Carpenter, the composer of pioneering television themes including The A-Team, Magnum P.I., The Rockford Files, Hardcastle and McCormick, Hunter and Riptide. Successful alumni of the prestigious fellowship include Christopher Tyng, Chris Beck, and Brian Langsbard. For more information on the BMI Foundation, please visit www.bmifoundation.com.

Mike Post

BMI saluted acclaimed Indian composer A. R. Rahman (PRS), whose composition for Slumdog Millionaire earned the Academy Award statuette for Original Score, while the film’s “Jai Ho,” featuring music by Rahman and lyrics by Gulzar (PRS), claimed the Oscar for Original Song. Rahman’s Golden Globe win for Best Original Score—also for Slumdog Millionaire—was honored as well.

Pete Townshend (PRS) took home three BMI Crystals for CSI, CSI: Miami and CSI: NY. Composers receiving two awards each included Aaron Zigman for Sex and the City and Madea Goes to Jail; Theodore Shapiro for Marley & Me and Tropic Thunder; Harry Gregson-Williams for Eleventh Hour and The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian; Danny Elfman for Wanted and Desperate Housewives; Rupert Gregson-Williams for Bedtime Stories and You Don’t Mess with the Zohan; Tyler Bates for Californication and Watchmen; and Graeme Revell for Pineapple Express and Eleventh Hour.

The night’s winning composers for top-grossing films included legendary composer and past Richard Kirk Award recipient John Williams for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Alexandre Desplat (SACEM) for critically acclaimed film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, past Richard Kirk Award honoree Thomas Newman for Wall-E, Alex Wurman for comedy Four Christmases, Randy Edelman for The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, Cliff Eidelman for He’s Just Not That Into You, and John Ottman for Valkyrie.

Award-winning composers of featured music for hit television and cable series also included Steve Jablonsky for perennial favorite Desperate Housewives, Jace Everett and Nathan Barr for True Blood, Tony Asher, Anton Sanko, and Brian Wilson for HBO dramedy Big Love, and Rolfe Kent and Daniel Licht for the groundbreaking series Dexter. Ferdinand Jay Smith was also honored for his composition of the ubiquitous HBO Main Theme.

BMI’s Emmy Award-winning composers were also feted; the accomplished list included Billy Barber, Gary Deinstadt, Ron Komie, and Danny Pelfrey for Guiding Light; Larry Hochman, Michael John LaChiusa, Billy Lopez, and Bobby Lopez for The Wonder Pets! ; Ben Decter and Michael Whalen for America at a Crossroads - Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience; Gary Lionelli for Ghosts of Flatbush; David Robidoux for Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Kansas City Chiefs; Tony Barbieri, Sal Iacono (SIAE), and Wayne McClammy for “I’m F***ing Matt Damon” from Jimmy Kimmel Live; Paul S. Glass for One Life to Live’s “Chemistry”; Kevin Briody for One Life to Live’s “Little Starr”; and Glen Berger and Terry Tompkins (SOCAN) for the title song from FETCH! with Ruff Ruffman.